Author: thepitwindow

I'm a retired educator and lifelong racing fan. I hope to return to fostering greyhounds in the near future. Living mainly in Indy and wintering in Florida. I attend about 10 Indycar races a year as well as some sports car events

Bommarito 500 Thoughts- Racing as it Should Be

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Penske Entertainment photo

What can IndyCar do for an encore? It will be difficult to top last night’s Bommarito 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway. Fast paced, battles for the lead, fights for position, wild accidents, and a winner in doubt until the end- not much more a race fan can ask for over two plus hours.

In the end, Kyle Kirkwood won his first career oval race and second race in a row, keeping Honda’s winning streak alive and the 2025 winners count at two.

On Saturday, all signs pointed to Chevy and Team Penske ending their season long droughts. Will Power won the pole, and teammate Scott McLaughlin joined him on the front row. Chevy powered cars occupied the first five spots.

McLaughlin’s stall as the grid rolled off pit lane was a harbinger of the woes awaiting Team Penske. Power suffered a tire failure on lap 4 and did a masterful job crab walking the car back to the pits. Josef Newgarden appeared to have full command of the race until he hit the sliding car of Louis Foster, flipping upside down and sliding down the front stretch. McLaughlin retired with 44 laps to go with a mechanical issue.

It has been that type of season for Team Penske. In eight races the team has just two podium spots, no wins, and two poles.

It Was Malukas’ Night Until…

David Malukas shot to the lead at the start and led the first 51 laps. He led two other times until a pit lane penalty cost him three spots in the restart order. He grazed the wall on lap 196, ending his strongest chance for his first victory.

Notes

There is so much to talk about.

Conor Daly once again looked to be in line for the win, but faded to 6th. Junco Hollinger has looked very solid in the first two ovals of the season.

Rinus VeeKay has raised the bar at Dale Coyne Racing. His seventh place finish is his third top 10 finish in 2025.

Christian Rasmussen overcame a fire under his car as he left the pits, fought his way through the field twice, and brought home his first career podium for ECR. Definitely Driver of the Race.

Robert Shwartzman earned his first career top 10 result for PREMA. The team has exceeded expectations in their first year in IndyCar. Callum Ilott had a chance to win the race. If the rain had come 10 minutes earlier, we may be talking about an improbable winner today.

Why did the yellow light take six seconds to come on after Foster slammed the outside wall? The late yellow may have prevented Newgarden from crashing into Foster, or at last made the impact less severe. The yellow flashed immediately when Malukas just grazed the wall and kept going. The slow response was unacceptable.

I cannot thank Dallara, the aeroscreen, the roll hoop, and the AMR safety team enough. The safety of these cars and the way they protect the drivers continues to amaze me.

Kyle Kirkwood is finally emerging as the driver I thought he would be when he entered IndyCar. He knows how to win, and I don’t think he is done winning yet this year.

If last night’s race proved anything, it’s that IndyCar needs to race on more ovals, and at night as often as possible. I’m hoping the Saturday race at Iowa can be moved to as night race, and that the finale at Nashville Superspeedway can shift its start time as well. IndyCar at night produces the best racing and it looks great in person and on television.

Penske Resurgence at WWTR

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Will Power led a team Penske awakening as the team and a partner car took four of the top five sport for tomorrow night’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500. Will Power won his 71st career pole, and his first since September,2023.

Pato O’Ward was the only non-Penske affiliated car in the top five. O’Ward will start third.

“It’s been a while. I’ve been on the front row a few times, but it’s always nice to get a pole. It’s one (championship) point and get to lead the field to the green (flag). It’ll be nice to see nothing in front of me! Good stuff. I’m going to enjoy it for now, then get back to (night) practice,” Power said.

IndyCar will have a practice session at 8:15 pm Eastern time on FS2.

Results:

Bommarito 500 Preview

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IndyCar begins its way too limited oval portion of the schedule this weekend with an experimental time slot at World Wide Technology Raceway. Father’s Day weekend races have had mixed success in the past. The first attempt to revive Milwaukee on Father’s Day weekend didn’t go very well.

IndyCar’s first non 500 oval caps a busy motorsports weekend which begins tomorrow with the Le Mans 24 hour race and includes the F1 Canadian Grand Prix, and a NASCAR race in Mexico City. Moving the race to Sunday evening makes sense in the context of all the other motorsports events. going on.

The Madison, Illinois venue started off well, and the event has a super promotional team. The August date worked quite well here, but it remains to be seen if this earlier date will be as well received. Changing the starting time to a Sunday evening may boost television viewing, but I’m not sure what it will do for track attendance.

Let’s take a look on what the two day show may bring.

Penske Rebound?

Josef Newgarden has won five times here, including last year, when he benefitted from a controversial restart. Will Power also has a victory in this race, and Scott McLaughlin usually does well on ovals. If Team Penske is going to score a win this season, Sunday is probably their best chance.

Palou Rebound

I can’t believe we are even talking about this, but after Palou’s crash at Detroit, he will be looking to return to form. Now that the three time series champion has notched his first oval win, I think he may begin a run of oval wins.

Others to Watch

David Malukas finished second in this race in 2022, and WWTR has been one of the better tracks for A. J. Foyt Racing. This is a combination that could be a factor in the race.

Alexander Rossi has run well here and has contended at times, but misfortune seems to find him every year. Could this be the year he has a good result?

Pato O’Ward won at Milwaukee last year and is overdue for a victory in 2025. I look for a strong run from the MclAREN TEAM.

Andretti Oval Resurgence

Kyle Kirkwood and Colton Herta were strong on ovals late last year, and they were strong in the Indianapolis 500. Teammate Marcus Ericsson finished second on track before he and Kirkwood were disqualified.

With so many drivers to choose, I’m going with a Team Penske resurgence, and a Will Power victory this weekend.

Coverage here tomorrow will be a wrap-up at the end of the day of all sessions. I’m not on site this weekend. I will have a quick race summary Sunday evening, and my thoughts on the race on Monday.

Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Fast Facts

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From IndyCar:

  Race weekend: Saturday, June 14-Sunday, June 15
Track: World Wide Technology Raceway, a 1.25-mile oval in Madison, Illinois
Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline 260 laps / 325 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway 75 laps / 93.75 miles
Hybrid energy deployment parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Unlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 150 kilojoules (kJ) per lap.
]Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Ten new sets for use during the event weekend. An extra set will be provided to teams participating in the high-line session before final practice. INDY NXT by Firestone: Three new sets for use during the event weekend.
X: @WWTRaceway, @IndyCar, #Bommarito500, #INDYCARInstagram: @WWTRaceway, @IndyCar, #Bommarito500, #INDYCARThreads: @WWTRaceway, @IndyCar, #Bommarito500, #INDYCARFacebook: @WWTRaceway, @INDYCAR, #INDYCARTikTok: @WWT_Raceway, @INDYCAR, #INDYCARYouTube: @INDYCAR
Event website: www.wwtraceway.com/I
NDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com
2024 race winners:
NTT INDYCAR SERIESJosef Newgarden (No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet)
INDY NXT by Firestone Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global)
2024 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet), 50.0079 seconds, 179.972 mph (two laps)
2024 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global), 54.8614 seconds, 164.109 mph (two laps)
One-lap qualifying lap record: NTT INDYCAR SERIESWill Power, 23.7206, 189.709 mph, Aug. 25, 2017
INDY NXT by FirestoneLouis Foster, 27.3986, 164.242 mph, Aug. 16, 2024
FOX Sports telecasts: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice 1, 11:30 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 3 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); High-line and Final Practice, 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Race, 8 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX (live). Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters.
 INDY NXT by Firestone: Practice 1, 1 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Race, 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday, FS1 (live). Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports’ coverage of INDY NXT by Firestone alongside analyst Jack Harvey. Georgia Henneberry is the pit reporter.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman is the turn announcer. Jake Query and Michael Young are the pit reporters. The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline race (7:30 p.m. ET Sunday), INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway (4:25 p.m. Sunday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. All INDY NXT by Firestone practice, qualifying sessions and races are available on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (all times local):
SATURDAY, JUNE 14
10:20 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES installation laps
10:30-11:30 a.m. — NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, FS1
12:05-12:50 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice, FS1
2 p.m. – Bommarito Automotive Group 500 NTT P1 Award qualifying (single car/cumulative time of two laps), FS1
3:35 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway Qualifying, FS2
4:45-5:15 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES high-line session (two groups/15 minutes each), FS2
5:30-6:30 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, FS2
SUNDAY, JUNE 15
3:31 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway “Drivers Start Your Engines”
3:35 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway (75 laps / 93.75 miles), FS1 (Live)
7 p.m. – FOX on air
7:15 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines”
7:20 p.m. – Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline (260 laps/325 miles), FOX (Live)
Race Notes: here have been two winners in the first seven NTT INDYCAR SERIES races. Alex Palou (Streets of St. Petersburg, The Thermal Club, Barber Motorsports Park, Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and Indianapolis Motor Speedway) and Kyle Kirkwood (Streets of Long Beach and Streets of Detroit). The record for most wins in a season is 10, held by A.J. Foyt (1961) and Al Unser (1970).
The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will be the first Sunday night INDYCAR SERIES race held at World Wide Technology Raceway. The track held scheduled Saturday night races from 2017-2021, while the 2023 race ran under the lights after a weather delay. The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will be the 17th INDYCAR SERIES race at World Wide Technology Raceway. 
Josef Newgarden won at WWTR for the fifth time in 2024. Paul Tracy won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at WWTR in 1997. Two-time WWTR race winners Scott Dixon (2020 Race 1 and 2023) and Will Power (2018) are the only former winners entered in this year’s race.
Team Penske has won nine times at World Wide Technology Raceway. Penske’s winning drivers are Paul Tracy (1997), Gil de Ferran (2002), Helio Castroneves (2003), Josef Newgarden (2017, 2020-Race 2, 2021, 2022 and 2024) and Will Power (2018). Chip Ganassi Racing has four wins at WWTR, with Alex Zanardi (1998), Juan Pablo Montoya (2000) and Scott Dixon (2020-Race 1 and 2023). Twenty-three drivers have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at World Wide Technology Raceway. Scott Dixon has 10 starts, the most among the entered drivers. Rookies Jacob Abel, Louis Foster and Robert Shwartzman, along with veteran Christian Rasmussen will make their first start at WWTR. Fourteen entered drivers have led laps at the track (Josef Newgarden 599, Will Power 450, Scott Dixon 379, Pato O’Ward 159, Colton Herta 134, Scott McLaughlin 79, Marcus Ericsson 16, Alexander Rossi 16, David Malukas 15, Sting Ray Robb 8, Nolan Siegel 8, Graham Rahal 7, Felix Rosenqvist 4 and Conor Daly 1).
Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 347th consecutive start, extending his record streak…Dixon passed Mario Andretti for the all-time lead in INDYCAR SERIES starts with his 408th start at Indianapolis on May 25 and will extend his record to 410 with a start Sunday…Graham Rahal will attempt to make his 300th INDYCAR SERIES start. He would become the 11th driver to reach the milestone.
INDY NXT by Firestone Notes: Andretti Global’s Dennis Hauger leads INDY NXT by Firestone to World Wide Technology Raceway, looking to continue his dominance of INDYCAR’s official development series. The 22-year-old Norwegian driver has never raced on an oval and leads his teammate Lochie Hughes by 38 points heading into a pivotal championship stretch of four races in five weeks.
The INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway will be the series’ 15th race at World Wide Technology Raceway. Previous INDY NXT by Firestone winners at WWT Raceway include Lee Bentham, Townsend Bell, Dan Wheldon, Jeff Simmons, Oliver Askew, David Malukas, Christian Rasmussen and Louis Foster. 

What the F1?

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Formula 1 released its 2026 schedule yesterday. The most glaring item is the placement of the Canadian Grand Prix on May 24 in direct conflict with the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500. If you’re shocked by this move, you don’t know F1 very well.

F1 has continually shown themselves to be arrogant and prideful, believing they can do whatever they want, no matter the consequences. They have established a base in North America with three races in the United States in Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas, and now they are getting greedy with their scheduling.

To have a race in North America on the same day as the 500 which overlaps the iconic event, is pure arrogance and insensitivity. F1 is justifying the date by saying it fits their new sustainability model having two races in May on the same continent. I would agree- if the races were on consecutive weekends. The Maimi Grand Prix is the first weekend of May, three weeks before Canada. You’re telling me all the crews and drivers are going to stay in the U.S. for three weeks? I find that doubtful.

Someone who is familiar with “F1’s thinking” told Adam Stern the decision was made in part in conjunction with the wishes of the promoters. I can’t believe a Canadian promoter is thinking, “Yeah, let’s go against the Indianapolis 500.”

I don’t think the F1 race will have much effect on the 500. I’m not sure how many people attend both events on a regular basis, but with the price of F1 tickets I’m assuming there aren’t that many. There are two distinct fan bases as well as many crossover fans. I never watched Monaco live on Race Day any way, but I recorded it to watch later in the week. I’ll do the same next year with the Canadian GP. F1 races usually start around 2 pm local time. which should be around the 75-lap mark of the 500.

My issue is the infringement, no matter how small, on the 500. The last Sunday in May belongs to Indy, and there should be no conflicts. Begin the GP later if you must, around 4 pm Eastern.

I think IndyCar and FOX should conduct a massive Indy 500 advertising assault on the Miamai Grand Prix with billboards, track signage, and television ads during that race. Distraction is a two-way street.

My hope is that 2026 is a one year thing with the Canadian Grand Prix., and that if F1 wants to race on Memorial Day weekend, they have a European race that ends by 11 am Eastern time. The triple header Sunday is one of the greatest days in motorsports.